Eurovision Song Contest 2025 - Mod warning in the OP

Could they not have something better than 2 semi-finals and a final?

I think they should either have one marathon session, or two or three days long but all being part of the same competition.

What is even the theory behind the semi-final? Obviously they get more money from more televotes, but it's not as if they're competing in sports or something where it's going to be a different level of performance every time and anything can happen on the day - it's pretty much going to be almost the exact same performance and them performing better or worse isn't going to change a thing about the result anyway, people are voting for whether they like the song or not. So what's the justification? There's none, it's just bollocks is what it is, it just sounds superficially like something reasonable that could be in a competition.

Maybe they could expand into something completely different. Maybe they could put dancing in it as well, call it the Eurovsion Song and Dance Contest. How about a major record deal for the winner with the intent of them becoming a global success - it's what it's fundamentally supposed to be about, right?

I feel like they're getting a little too comfy now because it's done really well online for two reason 1) interest outside of europe caused many who could never watch it before to start watching it and 2) it's a perfect format for shitposting online while watching it. This was never possible in the old days.

Both of these are going to wear off over time, particularly the first one. If however they can make global successes of the acts - which seems very doable with the money and publicity they get - then more people will be interested as they would like to be there at the very beginning for some major worldwide success. And only costing them one night of their time - unlike reality music tv shows that get dragged on for months.

There's definitely potential to do a lot more than it is now.

Where was Celine Dion from ?

GRAND FINAL DAY!! 😁

If the song was good enough it would get the votes

Maybe it's bias because it's one of my favourites but I feel like everyone is sleeping on Italy. They almost always do well in televote, even in years where they have weaker performances (2022) or weaker songs (2023), and the jury should definitely show it some love.

I also hope the hype about Albania doesn't turn out to be a damp squib and translates into actual points on the board. A win might be too much of an ask but top five would be great, and well deserved.

Then again, I'm bad at predictions: I thought Norway would easily be top ten last year and they finished last.

Norway last year was Gåte and they definitely didn't deserve last place.

I'm pretty sure Italy will do well, it has huge appeal. The fandom are massively underrating this. It is funny seeing the songs the fans get totally wrong (like last year I could not understand why everyone was so negative about Latvia, it was clearly a good song and got a great result).

the fact that you start your response with “if “ the Israeli singer…. says it all really. As I said already, for you and others Oct 7 is rather uncomfortable and it’s much easier to pretend that it didn’t happen at all.
You are literally proving my point.

The irony is that you mention Israeli “propoganda” without ever pausing to consider that maybe, just maybe, you and lots of other Irish people have fallen foul of some Hamas Hezbollah Isis propoganda yourself, and are, unwittingly, the useful idiots they need.

Mod - warned for ignoring mod instruction re parameters of the thread

Audience poll from last suggests the final is wide open. We could see votes going all over the place in both the jury vote and televote. Could well be the year when we get a surprise / shock winner and the favourite (Sweden) misses out.

I don't see Sweden winning, I liked the song hearing it before the semi final but on the stage it lacked something. Maybe they'll up their game tonight but I think they finish around 3rd.

I fancy the Netherlands or France to win, Italy probably my favorite song but don't think it'll do well enough to win

Keep an eye on Switzerland too. Probably the only song in the final with no props, no gimmicks, no choreography, just the singer and song.

I could see Germany get its best result in years. 'Baller' is a strong entry and first time they've used the German language in a long time.

I completely disagree, there are some collosal mountains of shite performing including the favourite

https://www.thesun.ie/tv/15219024/emmy-irelands-eurovision-dustin-the-turkey-rte-exit/

RTE’s Head of Delegation, Michael Kealy, said he would discuss at an upcoming meeting of the EBU, the lack of juries in the semi-finals, blaming the phone voting for scuppering Ireland’s chances.

He also said that RTE lacked the resources to back its entry.

Michael said: “RTE has limitations compared to other broadcasters, you look at the amount of money and effort they spend on selecting their acts, and the campaign they run from the selection process to Eurovision night. That takes time and money.

"You don’t want to hear about RTE’s woes but unfortunately that’s the truth, and I don’t know how we are going to resolve that.”

This is the problem at RTÉ there problems are all about others and not themselves, time for RTÉ wise up with statements like this, it just shows even lower down managers don't understand the plight that they put themselves in.